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A book of Bristol sonnets

By H. D. Rawnsley

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ON FINDING THE WILD STRAWBERRY IN NIGHTINGALE VALLEY,
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


70

ON FINDING THE WILD STRAWBERRY IN NIGHTINGALE VALLEY,

APRIL 3rd.

Before the Arum peeps from out her hood,
When daisies still are fresh in children's eyes,
I, rambling, found the wilding strawberries
Had spread their pearly petals in the wood!
Companion of the wanderer's solitude!
Let others boast their scents and gorgeous dyes,
Thy simple star, thy modest hermit guise,
Are emblems of the faithful and the good!
For thou canst never hear the Nightingale;
Thy five white shells will whisper to no Bee;
No Butterfly by thee will rest her sail;
Some hedgerow thing will win a feast of thee!
But thou hast secrets of the kindling earth;
And men, who know them, bless thy humble birth.